Eccentric drive means for stock shear



Jan. 15, 1963 L. L. HERCIK ECCENTRIC DRIVE MEANS FOR STOCK SHEAR 5Sheets-Sheet 1 Original Filed Aug. 24, 1956 INVENTOR. 1.40 A. HERO/A,LLL?

Jan. 15, 1963 IK 3,073,200

ECCENTRIC DRIVE MEANS FOR STOCK SHEAR Original Filed Aug. 24, 1956 5Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. 44a 1.. flare/x Jan. 15, 1963 HERCIK 3,073,200

ECCENTRIC DRIVE MEANS FOR STOCK SHEAR Original Filed Aug. 24, 1956 5Sheets-Sheet 3 IN VEN TOR. A90 4 #580 R Jan. 15, 1963 L. HERCIK 3,0

ECCENTRIC DRIVE MEANS FOR STOCK SHEAR Original Filed Aug. 24, 1956 5Sheets-Sheet 4 uvmvrox A00 A. Han em Jan. 15, 1963 L. HERCIK ECCENTRICDRIVE MEANS FOR STOCK SHEAR 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Original Filed Aug. 24,1956 INVHVTOR. 40 A. HERC/K United States This invention relates toimprovements in a shear and more particularly to a lever type shear forbar or billet stock.

This application is a division of my copendent application Serial No.606,154, filed August 24, 1956, now US. Patent No. 3,039,344, grantedJune 19, 1962, for Stock Shear.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a connectingrod or pitman subjected to a large tensile force, such as the weight ofa heavy shear arm supported thereby, with a bearing cap detachablyconnected to the remainder thereof so that the bearing bore formedthereby will not be substantially enlarged by this tensile force. I

A further object of the present invention is a gear and crank driveconstruction for providing an oscillating movement in a mechanism, suchas in a lever type shear, wherein the radial arm or cheek of the crankis recessed into the face of the gear with means securing it therein,whereby the axial distance between the gear and crank pin is minimizedand the torsional wind-up of the mecha nism is also minimized.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a bar or billetshear characterized by its structural simplicity of design, lowmaintenance expense, strong and sturdy nature, economy of operation,ease of assembly of its component parts, compactness of design,multiplicity of functions performed by each component part whereverpossible, and ease of operation during bar or billet shearmg.

Other features of this invention reside in the arrangement and design ofthe parts for carrying out their appropriate functions.

Other-objects and advantages of this invention will be apparenefrom theaccompanying drawings and description and the essential features will beset forth in the appended claim;

. In the drawings:.

positioned to start downward movement through its shearing or cut-offstroke;

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1longitudinally through the king pin of the shear;

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken transversely through the shearalong the line 3-3 of FIG. 1 longitudinally through the stock, such as abar or billet, to be sheared by the machine;

FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line 4-4 of FIG. 1through the drive gear, crank and connecting rod or pitman in theoscillation drive for the movable shear arm;

FIG. 5 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line 5-5 of FIG. 4showing the embedded construction of the crank in the drive gear;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along the line 6-6 of FIG. 4 throughthe connecting rod or pitman of the shear arm oscillating mechanism;

FIG-.7 is an enlarged partial view of FIG. 1 with the movable shear armin its lowest position at the end of its cut-off stroke prior to thestart of its return stroke; while FIG. 8 is an end view of the right endof the shear in FIG. 1 looking from the right toward the left at theshear.

Before the lever-type bar and billet shear here illustrated isspecifically described, it is to be understood tha the invention hereinvolved is not limited to the structural details or arrangement ofparts here shown since mechanisms embodying the present invention maytake various forms. It also is to be understood that the phraseology orterminology herein employed is for purposes of description and not oflimitation since the scope of the present invention is denoted by theappended claim. While the present invention may be adapted to varioustypes of machines, it has been chosen to show the same as applied to alever-type shear for bar or billet stock.

The frame of the shear includes a base plate 30 having welded theretotwo vertical frame plates 31 and 32 in FIG. 2 extending parallel. toeach other and at right angles with respect to the base plate 39. Thevertical plates 31 and 32 extend substantially throughout the length ofthe machine with the outward sides of each having generally the samereinforcing ribs, rails or frame plate structure secured thereto. Thisstructure includes for these respective vertical plates horizontalreinforcing ribs or rails 33 and 34 and fourteen ribs or rails 37, 30and 41, and 38, 40 and 42. Vertical frame plates 31 and 32 are connectedat opposite ends by end plates 43 and 44 in FIG. 1, a blade or knifeseat block 46 in FIG. 3 secured to frame plate 31 and base 30 withsuitable spacers 47 and a connecting plate 48 secured at opposite endsto block 46 and vertical frame plate 32. All of these plates, rails,ribs, spacers and blocks are secured together to make a rigid frame inany suitable manner with the preferred securing means being welds, asillustrated in the drawings.

The shear includes two cutter members carrying coacting blades with thecutter members taking the form of a stationary cutter member includingthe machine frame and block 46 in FIG. 3 and a movable cutter membertaking the form of shear arm 50. The movable cutter member or shear arm50 includes an arm frame part 51 having an upper blade or knife 52detachably secured thereto by a plurality of nut and bolt units 53 inFIG. 1 spaced along the length of the blade. The stationary cuttermember includes in addition to the machine frame and block 46 a lowerknife or blade 54 detachably secured to block 46 by another series ofnut and bolt units 55 spaced along the length thereof. The cuttermembers are operatively connected together for relative movement withthis operative connection taking the form of a pivot or king pin 56 inFIGS. 1 and 2. The king pin pivotally connects arm frame 51 and frameplates 31 and 32 to permit oscillation of this shear arm 50 in oppositedirections with the shear arm movable clockwise during the cut-offstroke from the raised position in FIG. 1 to the lowered position inFIG. 7 for moving the blades 52 and 54 relative to each other in a shearplane. Also, the shear arm 50 is swingable counterclockwise in a returnstroke from the lower position in PEG. 7 back to the raised position inFIG. 1.

A suitable drive is provided for oscillating this shear arm 50through'its shear or cut-off stroke and return stroke. Electric motor 60in FIGS. 1 and 8 is mounted on a platform base 61 secured to frame plate31 by a bracket 62 with a pivot 62a provided between bracket 62 and base61. Supporting link 63 is secured at opposite ends to eyes in base 61and frame end plate 43. Link 63 has a turnbuckle constructionintermediate its ends for adjusting the belt tension of driving belt 69.A drive pulley 65 on motor 60 drives driven pulley and fly wheel 67 bybelt 69 covered by belt guard 70. Driven pulley 67 drives a drive shaft74 through an air actuated clutch '72.

Drive shaft 74 has a driving gear 77 secured thereto for driving drivengear 79 with a gear driven crank, oscillation producing mechanism. Gear79 is keyed to crank shaft 81 in FIG. 4 with said crank shaft rotatablymounted at opposite ends in frame side plates 31 and 32 with this crankshaft driving a connecting rod 82 rotatably secured at its lower end bya pin and bearing unit 83 to the distal end of the arm frame part 51 ofshear arm 50. This connecting rod 82 supports and moves in oppositedirections the shear arm 50 at a point farther than blade 52 in FIG. 1from king pin 56 so as to provide substantial mechanical advantage inperforming the shearing cut so that the shear may easily cut large sizebars of billets.

In a shear for cutting large size bars and billets, shear arm 50 hassubstantial weight with its weight in some machines being over six tons.This large weight, the large inertia of the moving parts in the shear,the large forces exerted on the component parts, and the resistance ofthe stock to the shearing action causes many problems in shear design.Hereinafter is disclosed specific structures for solving some of theseproblems with these structures including the connection between crankshaft 81 and driven gear 79, and the specific construction of theconnecting rod or pitman 82 for effectively resisting the large tensileforce exerted endwise thereon by heavy shear arm 50.

Crank shaft 81 and its drive gear 79 are rigidly connected together todrive as a unit. Drive gear 79 in FIG. 4 has a central bore 79atelescoped over and keyed to a shaft portion 81a of crank shaft 81.Crank shaft 81 has a crank pin portion 81b radially offset from therotational axis of the shaft portion 81a and rotatably mounted in oneend bore of the connecting rod or pitman 82 with this radial offsetcausing the oscillation movement of the shear. Crank pin arm 81cconnects shaft portion 81a and crank pin portion 81b and is welded intoa radially extending recess 7% radially extending in one face of thegears 79, as shown in FIGS. 4 and S. This construction minimizes theaxial distance between gear 79 and crank pin portion 81b in FIG. 4 forany given gear strength so that they will act as a single drive unit,will provide a strong drive component, and will reduce the torsionalwind-up in the mechanism during movement of the heavy, movable shear arm50 in contrast with the construction wherein crank pin arm or check 81cis not imbedded in the face of gear 79. Two or more recesses or'pockets7%, such as the four in FIG. 5, may be provided in the face of gear 79to permit repositioning of the crank arm 81c'so as to distribute thewear on the teeth of gear 79 produced by a large force periodicallyexerted thereon at the same circumferential point.

Connecting rod 82 has a construction especially adapted to resist thelarge tensile force exerted endwise thereon by the heavy shear arm 50.-Connecting rod 82 in FIGS. 4 and 6 includes an elongated connecting rodmember 84 having a semi-circular recess 84a at one end straddled byoutwardly projecting U-shaped arms 84b, 84b and having a bore 84d at theopposite end for receiving the pin and bearing assembly 83. Theconnecting rod 82 also includes a cap 86 located between arms 84! 84band having a mating semi-circular recess 86a forming a circular borewith recess 84a spaced from and parallel to bore 84d for receiving asleeve bearing 85 which rotatably carried crank pinportion 81b. Suitablekeying means is provided for detachably locking cap 86 to connecting rodmember 84 with this keying means including two pairs of keywaysstraddling cap 86 with one pair on each side of the cap. Each pair of,keyways includes a keyway 860 in cap 86 and a keyway 84c in arm 84b. Akey 87 is located in each pair of keyways with its long dimension inFIG. 4 extending generally parallel to the axis of the bore formed byrecesses 84a and 86a so as to minimize separation between these recessesby the tensile force on the connecting rod 82. These keys 87 accuratelyhold cap 86 in proper relationship with respect to member 84, eventhrough a large separating force is exerted upon the component parts ofthe connecting rod 82, because the keys present a large shear area toresist the separation. In contrast, through bolts or studs extending inthe lengthwise direction of arms 84b, generally used to hold the cap ofconnecting, rod in place, tend to be stretched and elongated by a largetensile force so that the sleeve bearing for the crank pin portion 81bhas a very short wear life. In contrast, the construction in FIG. 6 hasa very long Wear life even though it supports a heavy shear arm 50weighing many tons.

Suitable fastening means are provided to permit disassembly of cap 86from member 84 but to normally present their disassembly along the axisof crank pin portion 81b during the operation of the shear. Here, adetachable cylindrical fastener, specifically shown as a bolt 89 havinga nut 90, extends through arms 84b and cap 86' generally perpendicularto the axis of this bore to lock member 84 and cap 86 together.

The operation should now be apparent. Shear arm 50 is in its upperposition shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 prior to the beginning of the cut-offstroke. Then, stock is fed to the position shown in FIG. 3 to preparefor cutoff. When motor 60 in FIG. 1 is energized, it drives through gear79 and connecting rod 82 the arm 50 clockwise in FIG. 1 through theshearing stroke from the FIG. 1 to the FIG. 7 position and then throughthe return stroke in the counterclockwise direction back to the FIG. 1position in any suitable manner, such as described in more detail in myaforementioned copending application. Now, a length of stock 115a inFIG. 3 has been sheared by blades 52 and 54, arm 50' has returned to theFIG. 3 position, and the shear is in its starting position.

Various changes in details and arrangement of parts may be made by oneskilled in the art without departing from either the spirit of thisinvention or the scope of the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

In a shear, two heavy cutter members including coacting blades with saidmembers pivotally connected together with one movable and the otherstationary, a crank driven construction operatively connecting saidmembers on the opposite side of said blades from said pivot, a drivegear having a central bore and a plurality of radially extendingrecesses in one face thereof, a drive source having a driven gear indriving relation with said drive gear, a crank having a shaft portion insaid gear bore, a crank pin portion radially offset from the axis ofsaid shaft portion and having an arm connecting said portions, said armbeing selectively positioned in any one of said recessess so as tolocate said arm with respect to a predetermined point on thecircumference of said drive gear effective to distribute the wear on thelatter, and means securing said arm in said one gear recess to minimizethe axial distance between said gear and crank pin portionfor any givengear strength and to reduce torsional windup in said mechanism duringmovement of said movable member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS771,005 Fulton Sept. 27, 1904 1,562,045 Pels Nov. 17, 1925 1,950,009Newman Mar. 6, 1934 2,370,311 Hercik 5.---.. Feb. 27, 1945 2,720,794Morris Oct. 18, 1955 2,800,809 Pike July 30, 1957 2,815,680 Morris Oct.18, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 16,458 Great Britain July 24, 1896 615,243Germany July 1, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OFCORRECTION Patent No 3,073,200 January 15, 1963 Lad Lg Hercik It ishereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patentrequiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read ascorrected below.

n Column 3, line 10, for "of" read or column 4, llne 14, for "present"read prevent Signed and sealed this 20th day of August 1963,

SEAL) ttest:

{NEST w. SWIDER DAVID LADD ttesting Officer 7 Commissioner of Patents

